Awakening Positive Emotional States with Hypnosis: Tools to Instill Hope, Joy, and Motivation
Courtney Armstrong, M.Ed, LPC, MHSP
Saturday April 18, 2026
9 AM – 4:30 PM CST
6 CEUs
Virtual Event
Please join the Minnesota Society of Clinical Hypnosis in welcoming Courtney Armstrong, M.Ed, LPC, MHSP for our 11th Annual Shep Myer Workshop via Zoom on Saturday April 18, 2026.
This presentation will be recorded and available for 4 weeks after the presentation.
This MN Society of Clinical Hypnosis conference is designed to meet continuing education requirements for many clinical disciplines. We are requesting CE approval from the following boards and organization:
- MN Board of Marriage & Family Therapy
- MN Board of Psychology
- MN Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy (LPC & LPCC)
- American Society of Clinical Hypnosis
Professionals in other related clinical disciplines, as well as those working outside of Minnesota can submit CE certificates to their corresponding boards for independent approval. Actual CE amounts will be dependent upon your specific licensure board and attendance.
Learning Rationale: (required by some nursing and physician CE boards)
This workshop addresses the clinical need for effective, trauma-informed interventions that support resilience and emotional regulation by teaching hypnosis-based strategies for evoking positive emotional states that enhance engagement, learning, and adaptive functioning
| Date | April 18, 2026 |
| Time | 9 AM – 4:30 PM CST |
| Location | ZOOM |
| CEUs | 6 |
| MSCH Member Cost | $85 |
| ASCH Component/ASCH Member Cost | $100 |
| Non-Member Cost | $125 |
*Scholarship support is available to attend this workshop,
please visit the Heather Klein Scholarship Fund for more information and to apply.
Heather Klein Scholarship Assistance
Register to attend virtually or to view the recording
Registration Deadline 4/17/2026
Description
How can we help clients rediscover hope, joy, and motivation when they feel stuck in despair or shutdown states? In this dynamic 6-hour workshop, you’ll learn how to use hypnosis to evoke vivid, multisensory experiences that activate empowering emotions and inner strengths. Drawing from neuroscience and positive psychology, you’ll explore how to guide clients into felt states of resilience, safety, and vitality—even when they can’t “think” their way there. Through live demonstrations and experiential exercises, you’ll discover how to craft hypnotic suggestions inspired by imagery, music, movement, and playful techniques that awaken the body’s emotional intelligence and create lasting shifts in mood, mindset, and behavior.
Agenda – All Times CST
| 9 – 9:10 AM | Introduction, plan for day, group input |
| 9:10 – 10:10 AM | |
| 10:10 – 10:25 AM | Break |
| 10:25 – 11:55 AM | |
| 11:55 – 12:25 PM | |
| 12:25 – 1:25 PM | LUNCH |
| 1:25 – 2:25 PM | |
| 2:25 – 2:40 PM | Break |
| 2:40 – 3:45 PM | |
| 3:45 – 4:15 PM | |
| 4:15 – 4:30 PM | Discussion and Wrap up |
Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Describe clinical models that use positive emotional states to support resilience and emotional regulation.
- Explain the role of positive affect in insight, learning, and therapeutic change.
- Apply clinical hypnosis strategies to create positive expectancy and engage client strengths.
- Construct hypnotic interventions that evoke and anchor positive emotional states using imagery and sensory engagement.
- Utilize multimodal techniques (e.g., imagery, music, movement) to deepen resilience and emotional flexibility.
- Identify ethical and clinical considerations when using positive emotional state interventions with trauma-exposed clients.
Biography
Courtney Armstrong, LPC/MHSP is a licensed professional counselor with 25 years of experience specializing in grief and trauma recovery. She is the Founder of the Institute for Trauma Informed Hypnotherapy and an ASCH-approved consultant who developed a nationally implemented hypnosis training program for the U.S. Veterans Health Administration. Known for her innovative, strengths-based approach, Courtney integrates uplifting, creative, and compassionate interventions that help clients reclaim hope, reconnect with inner resources, and build resilience in the face of adversity. She received the 2024 Presidential Award from the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis for her contributions to the field and is the author of Rethinking Trauma Treatment: Attachment, Memory Reconsolidation, and Resilience, The Therapeutic “Aha!”, and Transforming Traumatic Grief.
Registration (Closes at 5 PM CST on April 17, 2026)
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